Josephine Cox Sunday Times Bestsellers Collection. Josephine Cox
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a run, time and again Barney called out her name, but Lucy didn’t hear. They were too close to that part of the river where the water tumbled over the rise and thundered down into the basin beneath.
Gasping for breath, his chest afire, Barney took off again to gradually close the gap between them. He saw how, on reaching the river, Lucy launched herself at Trent. There was a struggle during which, with one backward swipe of his burly arm, Trent knocked her down.
At the top of the rise, Barney had to stop again. He bent his head low, and with his hands on his knees, he took some long deep breaths, and after a moment or two, slowly regained his composure. When he set off again, he could see Edward Trent. With the child under his arm, he was using the moonlight to illuminate his way across the most dangerous part of the river – a line of big boulders straddling the water. Doggedly pursuing him, out of her mind with fear, Lucy was yelling for him to give her the child. Jamie was frantically struggling in the man’s arms, making the situation even more dangerous.
When Trent ignored her pleas, she followed, slipping and sliding across the slimy boulders towards the far bank.
‘No, Lucy, come back!’
When Barney yelled out, in a part of this nightmare Lucy heard, but she kept on going, because Edward Trent had her baby, and she would follow him to Hell if needs be.
By the time Barney came to the river, Lucy and Edward Trent were locked in a fierce struggle on the rocks above the weir, with the terrorised child screaming hysterically.
Desperate to get Lucy and her son out of there and with no thought for his own safety, Barney ran slithering over the boulders. Taking hold of her, he tried to get her to safety, but she wouldn’t listen; all she knew was that her baby was in terrible danger. When driven by desperation she foolishly made a grab for the child, Trent lost his footing, and to her horror Lucy went with him.
Wading through the water to get to them, Barney saw Trent scrambling towards the shore and when, with the saturated clothes clinging to her body, Lucy went after him, Barney warned her to stay back. ‘Leave him to me, Lucy!’ He bellowed a warning. ‘You’re putting the child in more danger!’ But with reason long gone, she took no heed.
Everything happened so quickly there was nothing Barney or anyone else could have done. Going against Barney’s advice, Lucy made another grab for the child. As she caught him safely in her arms, Trent missed his footing and fell into Lucy, who then lost her balance – and in seconds the fast-flowing river snatched Jamie from her arms and whirled him away in its embrace.
Lucy made a brave effort to rescue her son, but not being a strong swimmer she was buffeted against every obstacle, as her son got washed further away.
Ahead of her, Barney got to the child first, but it was already too late. The force of water that had snatched him away and carried him downriver, had wedged him between two half-submerged rocks.
When Barney found him, the water was swirling over his face, and there was nothing he could do.
Desolate and bedraggled, he took the drowned child into his arms and waded upriver, to where Lucy was making her way towards them.
At first she began shouting for joy. ‘You’ve got him!’ She laughed out loud. ‘Oh Barney, you’ve got him!’ Her heart soared at the sight of her boy, safe in Barney’s arms.
With tears streaming down his solemn face, Barney looked into her eyes and slowly shook his head.
When Lucy saw the expression on his face, it was as if the world had come to an end; there were no words to describe the horror that tore through her. For the longest, deepest moment, the silence in that place was awesome.
As she tenderly took her baby from him, Lucy thought she would never again in her life know such pain.
Half-blinded by her tears, she gazed on that small, still face and her heart-wrenching cry echoed across the valley, shaking the night and striking fear into the cowardly heart of Edward Trent, who by now was already some distance away.
LIKE EVERYONE ELSE in Comberton-by-Weir and far beyond, Leonard Maitland was deeply shocked by the events of that night.
When Jamie Baker was laid to his rest, Leonard had been there for Lucy, along with her friends and neighbours; for with her parents split up and out of touch, with no thought or care for their little grandson, since he had been born – and died – out of wedlock, poor little mite, Lucy had no real family to help her through.
The service was very emotional, and afterwards, when everyone gathered at Overhill Farm, the air was thick with disbelief. No one there could recall anything of such a tragic nature happening in their lifetime.
In the dark days that followed, Lucy withdrew into herself; by day she wandered restlessly over the fields and hills, as though searching for her lost child, and at night she headed blindly for Barney’s house, where he and Vicky and the children were waiting to give support and comfort. They, too, missed the little boy and were heartbroken.
On this chilly day, with the date of departure fast approaching, Lucy and Barney prepared to visit Leonard Maitland. ‘Lucy, love, are you sure you know what you’re doing?’ Barney had worried about Lucy’s decision and had done all he could to change her mind, without success.
He tried again to dissuade her, but she was adamant. ‘You and your family have been kindness itself,’ Lucy told him, ‘but soon you’ll all be gone away. I have to take charge of my own life now.’ Her voice broke. ‘You know how much I love the cottage, Barney, but I could never go back there, not without my little angel.’ Taking a moment to compose herself, she said in a whisper, ‘How can I ever forgive myself, Barney?’
‘Whatever d’you mean?’ But he knew well enough what she meant, for hadn’t he told her time and again that she was wrong?
‘I know you will never admit it, Barney, but it was all my fault.’ Gulping back the tears, she went over that awful night in her mind. ‘If I’d only listened to you and kept back, you would have saved Jamie, I know you would …’ When emotion overtook her, she crumpled into him and he held her close against his heart, his two arms keeping her safe while she sobbed helplessly.
After a time, when she was quiet, they walked on, with Barney keeping his arm around her shoulders. ‘Listen to me, Lucy love,’ he said tenderly. ‘What happened that night was no fault of yours. Evil took your baby, and the way things were, there was nothing more you or I could have done to prevent that terrible thing. We both tried our level best to save little Jamie, but it wasn’t enough.’
He sighed from deep within. ‘Sometimes, sweetheart, there are greater powers in force than we could ever hope to understand.’
Gently bringing her to a halt, he turned her round to face him. Looking into her reddened stricken eyes, he said emotionally, ‘I’m so proud of you, Lucy. We all are. You’ve come through what will probably be the worst time of your entire life, and you’ve already begun to make decisions.’ He smiled wryly. ‘I don’t agree with the decision about moving back to Bridget’s, but it’s your life, and you have to do what you feel is right.’
Lucy gave a little gulp. ‘The truth is, I don’t know what’s right any more,’ she confessed tearfully. ‘All I know is that I have to make a new start, and before I can go forwards, I need to go backwards.’
Even in her sorrow, she noted the change in Barney; the trauma of that night had made him look so terribly ill. Raising her hand, she laid it on the side of his dear face as though comforting him. ‘You mustn’t upset yourself on my account,’ she pleaded. ‘You look so worn and tired, and I don’t want to be a burden on you.’
Afraid that she might see how truly ill he was, he laid his hand over hers and, moving it from his face, held it tightly as they walked on. ‘You could never be a burden to us,’